Bioware Says 18% of Mass Effect Players Choose Female Shepard.

[Khriz360]

Mass Effect players who picks the starting version of the game's Commander Shepard character are a rare breed, according to BioWare. The studio says that a mere 13 percent of players pick the default version of the male avatar. The remaining 87 percent tweak the character's appearance, class, or gender, before heading out for the stars.

That bit of information comes from an interview with BioWare's marketing director, David Silverman. Speaking to VG24/7, Silverman discusses the allure of female Shepard in particular, who he says 18 percent of players choose in one form or another. So far, the company hasn't shown off the female version in any of the promotional materials leading up to Mass Effect 3. BioWare says that will be changing soon, with an appearance in an upcoming trailer as well as on the box of the collector's edition of the game.

Silverman says he's been surprised by the amount of interest that Shepard's female version has generated, but that it's something that the team has embraced. “There aren’t enough female heroes in games in general, so it’s something that people can rally around and celebrate," he says, adding "Jennifer Hale does an absolutely incredible job doing the voice of FemShep, so people really connect with that.”

I've played through Mass Effect twice, as both male and female versions of Shepard, before deciding to continue the series as female Shepard. I just felt that Hale's voice acting was far better than Mark Meer's, as good as his work might have been. Did any of you have a similar experience?

Source:BioWare Says 18 Percent Of Mass Effect Players Choose Female Shepard - News - www.GameInformer.com

[ecto69]

I figured it would Have been more then that, in my 10 plays I picked female 7 or 8 I forget, only reason I picked a male shepard, was so I can see Miranda undress

In mass effect 3 I may only play female as they added more options.

[sunnygrg]

I wish they would tell how many chose both.

[Rawra]

For my current, and first playthrough I've kept the 'default' Shepard, feel like it adds to the story keeping him how he was made.

[zenithwillrule]

I pick the female shepard because I dare to be different.

[Angelwork]

Originally Posted by Rawra

For my current, and first playthrough I've kept the 'default' Shepard, feel like it adds to the story keeping him how he was made.

I agree.

I've always played male on my first playthrough (Original and 2nd) as the default Shepard, since he feels more like the 'main' character than the female Shepard does. Also, it ruins everything to create your own male Shepard. Mark Meer's voice fits the default Shepard's appearance perfectly.

That said, I also play female Shepard just as much as I play male, since I like to do all romances and options available in the game.

[Joe111eleven111]

Paragon female Shepard for the first playthrough, renegade male Shepard for the second. Which is the opposite of how I did the first Mass Effect. I screwed up character design both times. My female Shepard has a serious case of duck face. My male Shepard looks like Ron Perlman in Blade II.

[ecto69]

Originally Posted by Joe111eleven111

Paragon female Shepard for the first playthrough, renegade male Shepard for the second. Which is the opposite of how I did the first Mass Effect. I screwed up character design both times. My female Shepard has a serious case of duck face. My male Shepard looks like Ron Perlman in Blade II.

I hope they add an editor in ME3 like they have in DA2, so you can alter the appearance later in the game.

[Tarahiro]

I only ever play FemShep - on both my 360 copy and PS3 copy.

It's all i'll play in ME3 too. If I have the choice to play a female character, I always do. I have 4 friends who play only FemShep also.

[tagzero]

Seems a bit unprofessional for the marketing manager to say one VA is more talented than the other -- but as an unbiased consumer, I agree! After playing both Par and Ren FemShep, I find it really difficult to go back to ManShep. I guess it also helps that I found a sexy fem build on that character generator site. My first playthrough of ME3 will definitely be as Par FemShep.